SpendLens — Privacy Policy
Last updated: 9 May 2026
SpendLens is built around a simple privacy promise: your money data stays on your device. This document explains exactly what happens with the information you enter into the app.
Who is the developer?
Wael Zahran — solo developer. Contact: wael.zahran74@gmail.com.
What data does SpendLens collect?
SpendLens does not run a server, does not have user accounts, and does not collect or transmit any personal information by default.
All transactions, accounts, budgets, goals, settings, recurring schedules, receipts, and category data you enter are stored only on your iPhone, in the app’s private sandbox managed by iOS. Uninstalling the app removes all of this data from your device.
There are exactly two situations in which the app communicates with a third-party service. Both are opt-in — they only happen when you tap a specific button — and each call sends only the minimum information needed to provide the feature.
1. Receipt scanning (only when you tap the Scan button)
When you tap the camera icon to scan a receipt, the photo you just captured is sent to Anthropic’s Claude API for OCR processing. Anthropic returns the extracted merchant name, amount, date, and suggested category, which the app fills into the transaction form.
- Sent: the receipt image and a short prompt asking for the fields above.
- Not sent: your name, email, phone number, location, device identifier, your other transactions, your budgets, your goals, or any other personal data.
- Anthropic’s data handling: subject to Anthropic’s Privacy Policy and the Anthropic API terms. Anthropic does not train models on API inputs by default.
- Network: HTTPS, end-to-end encrypted in transit.
2. AI Coach (only when you tap the AI Coach card)
When you tap the AI Coach card on the dashboard, an anonymized summary of your recent finances (category totals, monthly spend, top merchants by name) is sent to Anthropic’s Claude API to generate personalized advice.
- Sent: aggregated category totals, recent transaction merchant names and amounts, your budgets and goals (the names and numbers, not your personal identity).
- Not sent: your name, email, account numbers, exact account balances tied to identity, location, device identifier.
- Anthropic’s data handling: same as above — see Anthropic’s Privacy Policy.
You can use the entire app without ever tapping either of these buttons. Receipt scanning and AI Coach are entirely optional convenience features.
3. Live exchange rates (anonymous)
For multi-currency conversion, SpendLens fetches a daily exchange-rate table from open.er-api.com (a free public exchange rate provider). This call has no user identifier attached — it returns the same rate table to everyone. The provider’s standard server logs may record your IP address and the timestamp of the request, the same as any HTTP request to any website.
Data we do not collect
- We do not collect analytics, telemetry, crash reports, or usage metrics.
- We do not embed third-party advertising SDKs.
- We do not embed third-party tracking SDKs (Facebook, Google Analytics, Mixpanel, etc.).
- We do not request access to your contacts, calendar, photos library (we only access photos you explicitly select via the system picker), location, microphone, or any other personal data sources.
- We do not maintain a server, database, or any backend that could be breached.
Permissions the app requests
SpendLens asks iOS for these permissions at the moment you use the relevant feature:
| Permission | When asked | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Camera | First time you tap the Scan button | To photograph a receipt for OCR. The image is sent to Anthropic, then released; SpendLens stores the photo locally with the transaction if you save it. |
| Photo Library (specific photos only) | When you tap “Pick from photos” instead of camera | To let you select an existing photo of a receipt. Only the photo you pick is read; the app cannot see the rest of your library. |
| Notifications | When you enable budget alerts | To deliver local notifications when you approach 80% / 100% of a budget. Notifications are scheduled and delivered entirely on-device — no server is involved. |
Decline any of these and the rest of the app continues to work normally.
Data retention
All data lives in your iPhone’s app sandbox. To delete it:
- Use Settings → Clear All Data inside the app to erase it but keep the app installed.
- Or uninstall the app to remove everything iOS retains.
There is no server-side record because there is no server.
Data sharing
We do not share, sell, or rent any data — because we do not have any data to share.
The only third party that ever sees a portion of your data is Anthropic (Claude API), and only when you explicitly tap the Scan or AI Coach buttons. Anthropic’s terms and privacy practices apply to the data you send via those features.
Children’s privacy
SpendLens is not directed at children under 13. The app does not knowingly collect any data from anyone, including children.
Your rights
Because SpendLens does not maintain user records, there is no central database we could query, export, or delete on your behalf. All your data is on your phone — you have full control via the app’s Settings screen and iOS itself.
Changes to this policy
If we materially change how data is handled, this page will be updated and the “Last updated” date at the top will change. Significant changes will also be announced via TestFlight’s release notes or the App Store update notes.
Contact
Privacy questions, data requests, or concerns: wael.zahran74@gmail.com